"Who is it?" Eliza mouths to Harrington who has his ear pressed up against the door. The duke doesn't reply but continues listening intently. Taking action into her own hands Eliza gets on her knees, and peaks under the crack between floor and door. She suddenly jumps up in alarm and hits him on the arm several times to attract his attention.

"What?" He says confused at her panicked look and wild gestures. Eliza shushes him silently as the voices become clearer and the footfalls louder. He gets to his feet and walks away.

"That's Lady Rosanne and Lord Trippier, they are having an affair!" Eliza whispers frantically pointing to people on the other side of the door.

"So?" He asks.

"What if they come in here?" Eliza whispers urgently.

"Relax, they'll be gone soon." Harrington tries to reassure Eliza but she begins to pace. What if they are found together in a bedroom?! She'd be ruined and her uncle would disown her.

"Sweetie, we don't have time." A woman's voice floats to their ears, high and flirtatious. Eliza suddenly freezes and hits him again pointing to just under the door. The shadow shows that the couple has stopped short of the door, Eliza and Harrington tiptoe backwards.

"Come on, I have missed you." The man places his hand on the doorknob to their room and turns the handle. Eliza chokes and turns her head to the side waiting for the shouts and their discovery resulting in her ruination. Both parties stare, wide-eyed at the door which remains shut.

"They will miss us from the ball darling." Rosanne laughs.

"Hide." Harrington mouths, he searches the small bedroom for a suitable hiding place but there are none, no chests or wardrobe, only a simple single bed and a little table next to it. He lowers onto his knees and lifts up a curtain around the bed. There is just enough room for two people to hide and be covered by this hem. Harrington waves to show Eliza their hiding place, she casts it a resigned and desperate look before nodding. He shuffles under the bed and makes sure the hem conceals him on the right side. Eliza slips under the frame on the left moves so she can't be seen. The cramped space means her head is resting on the duke's shoulder and half of her body overlaps his. They hold their breath and try not to be too aware of the person directly on them.

The door to the bedroom opens, there's a yelp and a person bounces on to the bed, a dip in the mattress cause the two underneath to breath in and avoid contact, the lock clicks.

"I said we haven't the time." Rosanne insists, her voice turning hard and biting.

"We have barely seen each other in a week." Tripper protests. His feet move towards the bed and then there are two bodies on the top and two underneath. Eliza cringes as the wet sound of kissing begins, Harrington feels equally mortified at the what is happening above. The disgusting sounds stop after a few painful moments. Trippier leaves the bed grumbling and his feet wander around.

"What's wrong Rose?" he asks impatiently.

"Richard, there is no easy way to say this, but..." Eliza and Harrington strain to hear her next words, "This is over."

In the dark Eliza lets out a small gasp to which her mouth is immediately covered by a hand. Luckily Trippier's exclamation drowned her out.

"Over, are you insane?" He shouts, "We are in love."

"We aren't in love; we just lacked a lover in our marriages." Rosanne says sadly, "I feel as my husband is dying, I should devote more time to him." She tries to explain.

"I will not allow this to end!" Trippier yells at her.

There are scuffles and the sound of skin on skin contact. Rosanne lets out a whimper of pain.

"I love you, Rosa, please don't go." Trippier sounds desperate,

Rosanne gets up from the bed and the mattress pops back into place. Underneath it, the other couple waits with bated breath for the two lovers, or ex-lovers to leave so they can come out from their uncomfortable hiding place.

"Goodbye, Richard,"

Eliza can see Rosanne's slippers walk towards the door and open it, she pauses and then leaves, leaving the door ajar. Trippier sighs and leaves the room after her.

Eliza tries to roll out from under the bed but Harrington pulls her back.

"Just wait a moment, they may return." He whispers, they wait in silence listening to hear if anyone is around.

"I am going to see if the coast is clear." He says as he rolls to his right and moves out from under the bed. Eliza pokes her head out the left side to watch him as he moves around the bed and peeks around the open door into the corridor. He nods his head to confirm she can come out. She begins to shuffle on her back, using her feet and hands to pull herself free. Her torso is out but her legs are stuck as her dress is stuck on a foot of the bed.

"Um, I need some help," Eliza admits as she tugs at her dress. Harrington comes over with a huff and bends as he lifts the corner of the bed, she pulls her dress free and shuffles backwards. The bed is put back down and Harrington offers his hand to help her up, she accepts it begrudgingly.

"My word!"

Charlotte stands in the doorway with several lords and ladies all staring at Eliza on the floor and Harrington standing over her. He lets her hand fall to the floor and Eliza scrambles to her feet. Two of the ladies whom she recognises as Lady Petunia and Countess Agnes gasp in delight and run from the doorway, heading back to the ball no doubt to spread what they just found.

"What on earth is going on?" Thomas cries. Eliza looks despairingly around, Harrington is frozen in his spot, he says nothing but stares with a poker face.

"I think..." Eliza stresses, "I think I am ruined." She stares her audience, biting her lip. Charlotte comes and hugs her friend who is flushing and looks on the verge of tears.

"Come on, let's get you out of here." She says to Eliza who nods meekly and allows herself to be led from the room and past the witnesses. On the way-out Charlotte whispers something to her fiancé who nods his understanding.

Eliza walks numbly behind her friend in shock. Strangely she isn't embarrassed, upset and angry of course but not embarrassed. The girls enter a side room a few doors away. Eliza begins to lose control of her sobs and falls to the floor in a pile of material. Charlotte lowers herself onto the floor as well and lets her friend cry into her dress, she strokes her hair at the same time. The sobs turn into heart-wrenching cries.

"There there." Charlotte holds her closer and rocks her slightly. "It's going to be ok."

Eliza's breathing becomes more even as she regains control of her emotions.

"He's not going to marry me Charlotte." She says. "I'll lose Benjamin and then I will have no family."

"You will always have Thomas and I," Charlotte reassures. "But we don't know what the duke will do."

"He hates me, he'll end up married to an obedient dog who does everything he commands." Eliza smiles. "I promised Eloise I'd become more responsible." She whispers, ashamed.

"You are not to blame." Charlotte says, "You did nothing wrong." Eliza sits up at that, her mind whirling. It isn't her fault, it is his, his arrogance and pride that caused all this mess.

"Where are they? I should talk to Harrington." She says.

"I told Thomas to go to the Library." Eliza jumps up and wipes her eyes, she runs out of the room and heads towards the Library.

After Eliza left Harrington felt his heartache, the poor girl was trying her best not to cry and seemed to lean on her friend for support. He must talk to her.

"Sir," Harrington says to Thomas, "Nothing happened." Thomas looks furious but calm.

"I swear it."

"Everyone back to the ball now." Thomas orders to the gaggle of people around him. "Harrington follow me."

The Duke follows him down a few corridors, he is pretty sure he is older and has more power not to mention money than this man, but Thomas is currently fuming and is putting him in his place. They stop at the Library.

"In." Harrington does as he's told and enters the room. Thomas goes straight to the bottle of whisky and pours a large glass for himself and downs it in one. Harrington isn't offered a glass, so he waits for Thomas to speak.

"I love Charlotte and Charlotte loves Eliza who I also love." He says with a grimace. "You have ruined her."

"Nothing happened!" Harrington protests.

"I believe you however the fact is you two were caught alone in a bedroom together." Harrington sinks into a chair and covers his face in his hands. Thomas is right, he has ruined an innocent all be it a stubborn girl's prospects.

"Those horrendous women will spread the news and Eliza's reputation with be non-existent." Thomas pours another whisky and this time hands Harrington one.

"What am I to do?" He asks.

"Leave her or marry her," Thomas says regretfully,

"Marry her?" Marry Eliza? Marry the minx who enjoys pushing his buttons? The girl who has no manners. The woman who outspoken and clever? The lady who is a beautiful mystery?

"Pretend you are already engaged, but we're waiting to tell people," Thomas suggests polishing off his drink.

"It would save her being ruined?"

"It would still be a scandal but not as bad for Eliza, you could have a double wedding with Charlotte and I."

"What do you think Eliza wants?" Harrington wonders, would she want to marry him or prefer to be scorned and belittled by society, it wouldn't surprise him if she chose the latter.

"Honestly, she could survive being left but she knows it will break her uncle's heart, and she's lost so many," Thomas admits sadly.

"She doesn't like me." The duke states.

"Oh, I am not quite so sure, compared to how she treats most men she basically loves you." Thomas remarks.

"Then I will marry her." Harrington smiles at the thought of having Eliza as his wife.

"Charlotte said you liked her," Thomas smirks at the pleased look.

"I find her increasingly vexing but she is an interesting creature." Harrington concedes. The sounds of pounding footsteps can be heard from the corridor.

The door to the library opens and Eliza storms in her eyes red from crying.

"How could you?" She shouts at him. "I am ruined and all because you thought I needed rescuing." She breaks down into a pile of angry tears. Charlotte arrives, a bit out of breath.

She crouches next to Eliza and whispers in her ear, "Just give him a chance." Harrington gives her a nod of thanks.

"I think you two need to talk," Charlotte says quietly as she glances to Thomas. "We will be outside." They leave the library and shut the door behind them.

Harrington leaves his chair and crouches next to Eliza on the floor. He embraces her shaking figure trying to comfort her.

"I despise you." She whispers with venom. He recoils at the loathing in her voice and moves away to look out the window.

"I thought you didn't want to marry, this way you will never." He says coldly.

"Of course you ruined me but don't worry it's a bloody good thing." She replies sarcastically.

Eliza sees the whiskey bottle and crawls over to the tray, she retrieves a glass and pours herself a drink. The fire of the alcohol burns her throat and makes warmth spread through her stomach. She closes her eyes at the sensation and allows her mind to take her away from the Windthrope castle. Harrington watches her as she closes her eyes, she looks stressed and upset but a fire burns in her and she refuses to be defeated.

"I wanted to marry for love." Eliza professes, eyes still tightly shut. "A nice man, not with money but a farmer or trader who would love me and we would be a family in a nice cottage in Scotland. We'd have children and he'd love that I am clever and opinionated, he wouldn't control me or leave. It would be forever."

"But you are going to marry me instead," he tells her;

"What?" She jerks, at the words and her eyes, fly open. She thought he would leave her to face the wrath of England alone. Harrington decided before she even arrived, he would not abandon her to ruin.

"We are getting married."

"I..." Eliza can't form any words.

"There's no reason to say anything, I am not doing this for you, I am an honourable man and I intend to remain that way," Harrington says. "I suggest you get used to the idea, it will make it easier for both of us."

Eliza is no longer crying but she still sits in a defeated pile. She breathes slowly and nods.

"I will call on you tomorrow and talk to your Uncle Benjamin," Harrington says. "I think we should say we were already engaged but were waiting to reveal it until you told him."

"Of course," Eliza replies numbly. "Whatever you think."

"Eliza."

"Harrington."

"Call me Jasper, we are after all engaged."

Eliza lets out a bitter laugh. "Indeed." She laughs again.

"What's so funny?" He asks.

"I never thought I'd be engaged to a duke," Eliza admits. Harrington laughs lightly but stops quickly.

"Until tomorrow Eliza."

"Goodbye Jasper." She whispers long after he leaves.